Hop
Polaris
A very high-alpha German variety with an unusual and powerful mint-eucalyptus aroma.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 18–23% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | Germany |
| Breeder | Hop Research Center Hüll |
| Released | 2012 |
| Storage stability | good |
How it is used
- Bittering (early boil). Added at or near the start of the boil, where long exposure isomerises alpha acids into bitterness and drives off aroma.
- Whirlpool / hop stand. Steeped below boiling after flameout. Extracts aroma and flavour with limited additional bitterness.
If you like Polaris
Hops with comparable character. Similarity and substitutability are different questions, so each entry says which it is: a hop can smell alike and still change the beer if its alpha acid is far off.
Perle 6–9% alpha
Shares mint eucalyptus, noble spice with Polaris; a dual-purpose variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings floral that Polaris does not; 13 points lower in alpha acid, so a like-for-like weight swap would change the bitterness.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.